Dangerous mission to retrieve frozen 'Green Boots' Everest climber is now race against time

One of Mount Everest's frozen victims has been identified 30 years after climbing the mountain, as a team prepares to bring his body down the summit.

There is no mountain more popular with mountaineers than the tallest peak on Earth, but it has come with a hefty price for some.

With approximately 339 lives taken, per Breeze Adventure, but none have become as known as a person simply known as 'Green Boots'.

Lying at around 26,246 feet up the peak, his body has been known as a milestone for those entering the mountain's 'Death Zone'.

'Green Boots' has been remarkably well preserved for years thanks to the climate's inhumane temperatures, which poses a devastating risk for anyone willing to pay to climb the mound.

Known for his bright green boots, the climber was previously identified as Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, a 28-year-old, until the Indo-Tibetan Border Police confirmed the identity was instead that of 47-year-old Dorje Morup.

As nicknames go, 'Green Boots' does exactly what it says on the tin (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)

"The weather and snow conditions are going to be crucial," Tshiring Jangbu Sherpa, a Nepalese mountaineer who has before been part of recovery missions, told BBC Hindi. "The north side has fewer crevasses, but it is riskier. If something bad happens from the Nepalese side, you get quickly evacuated by helicopter. But there is no such system from the Chinese side."

Because Morup is on the north face, it adds another layer of complication, said another mountaineering guide, called Pemba Ongchu Sherpa: "It's really tough to get that body down even in popular spring season, let alone the autumn [which has more unpredictable weather]. That's the simple reason it is still there for so many years. There would need to be 10 to 12 climbers who are capable of making summits, just to fix [support] ropes to reach that point."

According to experienced Sherpas, the body might melt and decompose as it is carried by the team to lower altitudes, and due to the frost, may also weigh several times more than normal.

This could put other people's lives at risk on the way to delivering the body to a place capable of being collected by a helicopter.

The mystery of Mount Everest's green-booted corpse is over, with Dorje Morup's identity now confirmed (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)

Per The Sun, Morup's identity was announced ahead of forming a plan to bring his remains back down the mountain as a high-altitude rescue team is set to recover him from Everest's north face.

Morup, was just one of three who attempted the climb on 10 May 1996.

Morup, Paljor and Tsewang Samanla were sadly caught in a blizzard just moments from reaching the top, where they passed away while others in their group survived after having turned back when conditions harshened.

Records show they had radioed their team leader around 3.45pm local time, and confirmed they had reached their destination, but due to poor visibility, nobody can be sure.

Below them, witnesses described seeing two lanterns veering toward the Second Step, before they vanished.

From then on, 'Green Boots' became a marker for other climbers, which saw his body lying in a foetal position under a little alcove on the mountain for shelter.

But with his body lying in a space known for its -40C temperature and low oxygen levels, recovery in this part is rare and risky at best.